Queen publicly backs Charles to head ‘family of nations’
AS THE Buckingham Palace ballroom fell silent in anticipation, they walked side by side: mother and son, embodying the present and future of the Commonwealth in each steadfast step.
The Queen and her heir, the Prince of Wales, were united in stride and purpose, moving to secure for a new generation the Royal family’s place in the circle of nations they have vowed to serve. After a lifetime of duty, first pledged at the tender age of 21, the Queen took her seat among the Commonwealth heads of government to open officially their London meeting and to express much more besides.
And in a heartfelt address to assembled presidents and prime ministers, the Queen shared for the first time her unambiguous “sincere wish” for her son to one day succeed her as Head of the Commonwealth.
Her measured words were a ringing public endorsement of the Prince of Wales, a rare intervention that served to make her son’s appointment appear a foregone conclusion.
“It remains a great pleasure and honour to serve you as Head of the Commonwealth and to observe, with pride and satisfaction, that this is a flourishing network,” she told the assembled heads. “It is my sincere wish that the Commonwealth will continue to offer stability and continuity for future generations, and will decide that one day The Prince of Wales should carry on the important work started by my father in 1949.”
The thorny issue of the future Head of the Commonwealth has dominated this week’s agenda, with the Prince of Wales considered by many the only realistic contender to take over the honorary, non-hereditary position.
After years of treating the question as too distasteful to discuss, dealing with a world after the Queen’s death, leaders at the London meeting were expected to finalise plans during a private retreat at Windsor Castle today.
The Queen has previously hinted at her feelings. Two years ago she told the last meeting in Malta that she could not have been “better supported and
represented in the Commonwealth than by the Prince of Wales, who continues to give so much to it with great distinction”.
If there were any last-minute doubts about her wishes, they were extinguished in an hour-long opening ceremony at Buckingham Palace yesterday. Surrounded by leaders of 53 member countries, the Queen was centre stage for what was possibly her last CHOGM, as future overseas meetings become unlikely for a monarch in her 90s.
It was later, during a toast at the formal evening dinner, that the significance of the day was underlined as His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-addo, president of Ghana, offered his thanks to the “icon” of the Commonwealth.
“We’re led to to understand that she’ll be winding down her duties as Head of the Commonwealth,” he said of the Queen. “This toast thus takes on an added significance, for it falls upon me to express the depth of our collective regret that she will no longer automatically be present at our proceedings.”
The Prince of Wales, charged with welcoming guests, laid out his credentials, noting: “For my part, the Commonwealth has been a fundamental feature of my life for as long as I can remember, beginning with my first visit to Malta when I was just five.
“And so, ladies and gentlemen, I pray that this Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting will not only revitalise the bonds between our countries, but will give the Commonwealth a renewed relevance to all citizens, finding practical solutions to their problems and giving life to their aspirations. By doing so, the Commonwealth can be a cornerstone for the lives of future generations, just as it has been for so many of us.”
Theresa May, the Prime Minister, received prolonged applause after addressing the Queen directly, saying: “This week you have opened your homes to us – here in London and in Windsor. Over many years, you have been the Commonwealth’s most steadfast and fervent champion. We commit to sustaining this Commonwealth, which you have so carefully nurtured. For your service, for your dedication, for your constancy – we thank you.”
Dr Joseph Muscat, chairman of the Commonwealth of Nations and Malta’s prime minister, praised the Queen’s service, telling her: “We are equally elated by the vigour with which His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales actively participates in Commonwealth affairs, and puts a strong Commonwealth dimension in his various national and global initiatives.
“We are certain that when he will be called upon to do so, he will provide solid and passionate leadership for our Commonwealth.” After listening to speeches and music from the young people of the Commonwealth, the Queen made her own address.
“When I meet the young leaders of this century, I remember my own lifelong commitment – made in South Africa in 1947 at the age of 21,” she said. “As another birthday approaches this week, I am reminded of the extraordinary journey we have been on, and how much good has been achieved.”
She added: “Here at Buckingham Palace in 1949, my father met the Heads of Government when they ratified the London Declaration, which created the Commonwealth as we know it today – then comprising just eight nations.
“Who then – or in 1952, when I became Head of the Commonwealth – would have guessed that a gathering of its member states would one day number 53, or that it would comprise 2.4 billion people?”
The ceremony, hosted by Reeta Chakrabarti, the broadcaster, also saw guests treated to musical performances and talks from winners of the Queen’s Young Leader scheme.
Emeli Sandé, the Scottish singer and songwriter, gave a rendition of the National Anthem, before a group of six “Commonwealth Voices” performed a version of Unwritten, a pop song now considered to be the organisation’s “youth anthem” to an audience including the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry, the Duke of York, the Princess Royal, the Countess of Wessex, the Duke of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and Princess Alexandra.
The morning ceremony, which observers remarked was smaller and more modest than recent CHOGMS, ended with the Royal Family filing out of the ballroom, led by the Queen and the Prince. Mother and son later hosted a lunch at the palace for 16 new heads of government. After a short break for a change of outfits, the Royal Family, heads of government and their spouses reconvened for the formal Queen’s Dinner, with a reception and a second speech from Her Majesty. The Queen hosted the dinner in the Picture Gallery, the first time
she has used the picturesque room for such an occasion. Guests, including Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, enjoyed a three-course meal with wines from England, New Zealand, Australia, and Cyprus.
Today, the 53 Commonwealth heads of government retire to Windsor for a final communiqué, outlining their plans in writing, to be issued.
Tomorrow, the Queen will attend a Commonwealth birthday concert at the Royal Albert Hall in Kensington, marking a celebratory end to a week which, if everything goes to plan, will define the future path of the family of nations.